As SCAD students, we all know the crunch time that is midterms. But it’s not the end of the world. These are a few little things that you can do to help yourself get through midterms, and you’ll thank yourself for it.
1) Take a deep breath.
You’re doing to get through it. While it may seem like there’s a ton coming your way all at once, try to take a deep breath and close your eyes for a second. Relax. Walk away from the textbook or project that you’ve been staring at for ages and clear your head for a second.
2) Make sure to have mealtimes.
Treat yourself to little breaks throughout your time working. One way to get your breaks in is to make sure you have the time to eat three healthy meals a day. Slowing down to give yourself a rest and nourishment will refresh you for when you return to your project. Put aside your work for a bit to give yourself time to enjoy a good meal.
3) Study for exams with friends.
If you know some people in your class, ask if they’d like to study together. Some people work better in groups, and quizzing each other gives everyone the chance to review the material and test their knowledge. If you’re a group studier, go for it! If you’re an independant studier, find a quiet place like the library that’s conducive to your work style.
4) Give your brain time to rest by doing something you enjoy.
Take a fifteen-minute Netflix break, go for a walk, listen to music, get a snack from the vending machine. Do something to help your mind reset and get out of major-stress-mode. It might be hard to pull yourself away, but you’ll feel more energized and fresher if you can give your brain a minute to relax.
5) Make a daily schedule.
Give yourself loose guidelines of what you want to accomplish as far as homework, studying or projects. For instance, if you want to review Art History for forty-five minutes, set aside that time. Write down when you want to do what. Try to stick to the schedule as best you can. Include other tasks that you might need to get done, like laundry or cleaning, and you can even write in your breaks and mealtimes to keep yourself organized. Sometimes the timeframes might be more like guess-timations if you’re not sure how long a project will take to work on, but in that case give yourself a goal for that day and an amount of time to achieve that goal.
6) Remember, the Tutoring Center is always available.
If you feel like you need some feedback on a project or some support in a subject area, check out the Tutoring Center. Appointments are an hour in length and can be booked through MySCAD under Student Workspace.
7) Stay positive!
Midterms won’t last forever! Just do your best. That’s all anyone can ask of you.
